Previously packages of a continuous strip of material have been formed using a technique known as "festooning" in which the strip is folded back and forth to lay a series of strip portions back and forth with each portion being folded relative to the next about a line transverse to the strip. The technique of festooning has been available for many years and is used in packaging many different types of material but particularly material of a fibrous nature such as fabric, non-woven strips and the like. In this technique, the strip is conventionally guided into a receptacle such as a cardboard box while a first reciprocating movement causes portions of the strip to be laid across the receptacle and folded back and forth and a second reciprocating movement causes the positions of the portions to be traversed relative to the receptacle transversely to the portions. Normally the receptacle comprises a rigid rectangular container at least partly of cardboard having a base and four upstanding sides.
In an alternative arrangement the strip is packaged by rolling the strip into a cylindrical pad having a width equal to the width of the strip or is wound into a cylindrical traverse package having a width greater than the width of the strip.
In all of these arrangements, the intention is to limit the number of splices in the strip since these slices cause the material at or on either side of the splice to be scrapped. Splices are necessary in joining the master rolls from which the strips are slit.
The above applications disclose details of an improved method of forming a package of a strip for supply of the strip comprising:
providing a strip having a first side edge, a second side edge, a first surface and a second surface; PA1 forming at least one stack of the strip; PA1 in said at least one stack repeatedly folding the strip back and forth so that the stack contains a plurality of folded overlying strip portions of the strip, with each strip portion being folded relative to one next adjacent strip portion about a first fold line transverse to the strip and relative to a second next adjacent strip portion about a second fold line transverse to the strip and spaced from the first fold line; PA1 arranging the strip portions thus to form a plurality of first fold lines at one end of the stack and a plurality of second fold lines at an opposed end of the stack; PA1 arranging the strip portions thus such that the first surface of each strip portion lies directly in contact with the first surface of one next adjacent portion and such that the second surface of each portion lies directly in contact with the second surface of the other next adjacent portion; PA1 arranging the strip portions with the first side edges thereof lying directly on top of and aligned with the first side edges of others of the strip portions of the stack and with the second side edges thereof lying directly on top of and aligned with the second side edges of others of the strip portions; PA1 arranging the strip portions of the stack with the first and second surfaces thereof generally parallel to a top surface and bottom surface of the stack; PA1 arranging the strip so as to be continuous through the stack between a bottom strip portion and a top strip portion; PA1 placing the entire top surface and the entire bottom surface of the at least one stack under compression in a direction at right angles to the top surface and the bottom surface of the stack; PA1 and engaging the package by a packaging material which maintains the compression. PA1 a plurality of layers of sheet material at least a first layer and at least one second layer defined by a strip of material; PA1 the layers being assembled in parallel overlying relationship to form a body in which the strip is covered by the first layer; PA1 the strip of material having a splice therein defined by two ends of the strip of material; PA1 the ends being held together by a plurality of yarn stitches passing through the strip of material and bridging the ends of the strip of material; PA1 wherein the splice is arranged such that the strip of material has a surface characteristic at the splice which is substantially equal to that at other locations thereon and is not compromised by the splice. PA1 forming a strip of a material; PA1 forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced splices in the strip of material; PA1 each splice being formed by: PA1 the ends being held when moved into the butting relationship by the plurality of yarn stitches; PA1 cutting the strip into strip portions some of which include one of the splices therein; PA1 and assembling each of the strip portions into a respective body including a plurality of layers of sheet material including the strip of material. PA1 a strip of a material; PA1 the strip of material being folded back and forth to form a plurality of overlying strip portions; PA1 the package having a width greater than a width of the strip; PA1 the strip of material being continuous and including at least one splice in the strip of material; PA1 the splice being defined by two ends of the strip of material; PA1 the ends being held together by a plurality of yarn stitches passing through the strip of material and bridging the ends of the strip of material.
The package generally includes a plurality of stacks side by side and the stacks include tail portions at the bottom for splicing to another stack to form a continuous strip. Such splicing therefore necessarily increases the number of splices in the finished package.
One particular end use for strips packaged in this way is in the assembly of products using the strip and one or more other layers. The strip is thus covered by at least one layer preferably including one or more top and bottom layers so that the strip itself is not visible by the end user. The strip has characteristics such as absorption or acquisition of fluid which are consistent over the surface and would be compromised if the surface were covered or partly obscured by any material. One example of such products is for use in moisture absorption such as for feminine hygiene products or diapers. The strip is thus formed of a layer of a moisture permeable material which carries an absorption powder or the like. This is assembled with covering layers and stitched or otherwise attached together to form the completed product. The strip is a non-woven material or more particularly an air laid cellulosic material.
The presence of splices in the strip used in such products up to now has been problematic in that the splices which are formed by taping the two ends together using an adhesive strip which can interfere with the characteristics of the strip. The manufacturers have in many cases overcome this problem simply by scrapping or culling the product formed at the splice and at least one product on either side of the splice leading to the abandonment of at least three products for each splice. This material is therefore waste leading to increased cost and in most cases the waste cannot be recycled leading to costs for disposal. It is also necessary to cull the splice in cases where the product is used in the health industry since any materials incorporated into a product of this type must be approved for such use to avoid any possibility of an unacceptable reaction by the user.